Animals brought to various locations, fed, walked and monitored

41 horses taken off a farm in Essex, New York last week are being fed and nursed back to health. The horses are at several places now but authorities tell us they were taken away Thursday after a tip called into the Essex County Sherriff's Department.

Veterinarians were brought in to check the animals out and rate their health, which they say varied.

"Horses that grade a 1 are in imminent danger. And especially this time of year, having thin horses is a very big problem as we head into winter because they don't have any body fat to keep them warm," said Adirondack Veterinary Hospital owner David Goldwasser, DVM.

All 41 horses were found alive. They're on a very strict diet to safely bring them back to health. The animals have also been checked for parasites and vaccinated as needed.

The Essex County sheriff says he's seen his fair share of animal cruelty cases, but he says not like this

"This was definitely one of the worst," said Sheriff Richard Cutting.

Several deputies were on site Thursday documenting the scene.

"You could see the ribs on all of them. Some of them didn't appear quite as bad as others. Some of them were very gaunt with ribs and hip bones and spine very evident," said Cutting.

He said the herd was in an enclosure that did not appear big enough for 41 horses. He said there was also debris on the ground.

One of the veterinarians involved says the good news is that with a proper rehabilitation, horses can safely put on weight pretty quickly.

"We are hopeful that we've caught them all early enough and that we can nurse them all back to health," said Goldwasser.